Bookish Musings: Bells and Chimes

I've read about it. In lots of places. I've seen it being used as a descriptive in lots of novels. But. I have never actually heard laughter that sounds like bells. Or wind chimes. Or tinkling.

I've heard loud laughter; cackling laughter; boisterous laughter; sniggering laughter; wheezing laughter; snorting laughter.

I've seen people laughing so much they choke on their food; laughing so much they're unable to breathe; laughing so much tears roll down their face; laughing so much they drop onto the floor; laughing so much they look almost maniacal.

I've felt the kind of laughter that is bursting to come out; the kind of laughter that is merely an exhale; the kind of laughter that is so unexpectedly loud, I need to chide myself; the kind of laughter that makes my face feel warm and buzzing.

And all those kinds of laughter are so beautiful. Because laughter is a ray of sunshine made audible. And I don't feel any poorer for not being able to hear laughter like chimes. Because I've heard real, solid, imperfect, hilarious laughter. And that to me is akin to liquid gold.

IMG Worlds Of Adventure!

The UAE is all about having the tallest, the biggest, the most luxurious, the fastest etcetc. So it should come as no surprise that the World’s Largest Indoor Theme Park in located in the UAE! The IMG Worlds Of Adventure amusement park opened on the 16th Of August, 2016. And everyday since then (and even before that, ever since they put up a stall at the Middle East Film and Comic Con In 2014) Shifa, Safa and Hawwa desperately wanted to go. 

Shifa got the chance to go with her husband in July (2017). Hawwa and I weren't able to go because we had our school/university stuff to do 😭😭.

BUT.

Finally. FINALLY. Hawwa and I got to go. We already had one ticket (thank you, Brent Black!), so we bought one more online, and the gentleman was really nice, he included a lunch buffet with the ticket!

The park is split into 4 themed sections:
-Cartoon Network
-Marvel
-The Lost Valley
- IMG Boulevard

The Lost Valley and IMG Boulevard are original concepts by the Galadari Group. The rides (as of now) are all located and themed according to the 3 aforementioned sections, while the Boulevard has restaurants, merchandise shops and photo booths!

Hawwa and I managed to try out all the rides and attractions except for the LazyTown area, the Dino Carousel (to which Hawwa gave me a polite "are-you-serious" face when I suggested we go on it) and The Haunted House (this attraction only opens at 1:00pm, and by the time we finished all the other rides, we were a bit tired and decided to skip it).

Here's what we thought of each ride:

Cartoon Network:

Adventure Time- The Ride Of OOO:

This isn't a roller coaster or anything, it's sort of like a cable car, so it's slow, but it’s a nice first ride because it gives you an overview of CN. It was also very pleasant smelling!

The Powerpuff Girls- Mojo’s Robot Rampage:

Shifa: I didn't really like this ride. It was simply going in circles and upside down; it just made me uncomfortable.

Safa: I wasn’t really expecting it to do what it did. And I was surprised!

Hawwa: wasn’t able to see because I had to remove my glasses, which made it even more thrilling.

The Amazing Ride Of Gumball:

This is on of those virtual shooting games. It was quite fun, for a good duration of time. 

Ben 10- Hero Time:

Shifa: The seats were moving quite a bit, so it was enjoyable and lived up to the 5DX name. Good for kids.
Safa & Hawwa: 5DX show. I was quite impressed because the movements were quite good and plenty. If the seats were a bit higher- so you feet aren’t touching the floor- it would have been even better. Kids will really get a thrill out of this!

   

    We pulled a Heil Hydra on Cap, but he was none the wiser 😆

                               

Marvel:

The Avengers- Flight Of The Quinjets:

This was more of a DIY ride. What do I mean by that? Well, in order to move up, a pedal needs to be pressed. Hawwa and I took a while to figure it out 😅, and the first time we did it was unexpected and got a few butterflies in our stomachs! So, while it was fun, it wasn’t as exciting for adults. Children will enjoy it.

Battle of Ultron:

Shifa: This ride would be more enjoyable for kids because while it does have some thrills, it's not so fast.

Safa & Hawwa: This is a 5DX ride (similar to the Krrish ride in Dubai Parks) but does not enough movement 😞 The ride operator told us the ride would spin upside down, but that didn’t happen. Not even close. However, the artfully done inner structure to create a wrecked landscape was superb!

Doctor Ock’s Revenge:

Shifa: Really enjoyed this ride. It was kind of similar to the dragon ride in LEGOLAND Dubai, but, like, a HUNDERED times faster!!

Safa: Had a few good spins and was quite fast, but too short!

Hawwa: I enjoyed a lot! My legs became jelly. 

Thor- Thunder Spin:

Shifa: Damnnnn. My whole body is falling apart. You HAVE to try this ride. But if you're scared of heights and upside-down rides... *hyperventilates*

Safa: It was fantastic! Fast and freaky. And the movement was replicated in such a way that it makes you image you are the Mjolnir. But just as I was getting into that thrill zone, the ride was over.

Hawwa: I thought it was reallyyy good; my legs were jelly for real this time!! 

Hulk- Epsilon Base:
Another 4D ride, but unlike the regular cinema-type seating, it was a large circular shape and it really transports (haha, a bit of a pun- no spoilers, so when you ride it, you'll understand the pun 😅) you into the story. Was quite good as well. They kept it quite mild so that it would be suitable for a large age range, but if they kept it solely for adults and amped up the speed, it would be a brilliant ride!

The Lost Valley:

Predator:

Shifa: The wait time wasn't too much and the ride was worth it! It was really nice!

Safa: Excellent. Bloody brilliant. The start. Oh shit. So scary and so good.

Hawwa: my hijab almost came completely off! 😂😂 (and it was caught on camera 😂)

Adventure Fortress:

Really fun play area. Nice slides. Good for the kids (and adults 😋- in fact, the gentleman at the entrance of this attraction told us "don't be shy, let the inner kid come out and play").

The Velociraptor:

Shifa: Oh my goshhhh, my head is spinning! *gulps* The ride was woahhh, really, really good!

Safa & Hawwa: ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. I (Safa) was screaming a mixture of "ahhhh"- fearful excitement- and "woowws"- excited excitement.

We went twice.

Forbidden Territory:

Shifa: This ride was quite nice. Maybe more catered to children, but still enjoyable. A lot better than the "Battle of Ultron" ride.

Safa & Hawwa: Kind of different. This was more of an immersive through-Jurassic-Park type of ride. If they designed it to be more of an adult ride it would have positively scared the daylights out of us. One surprise guest got us a bit 😲

IMG Boulevard:

The Haunted House:

Shifa: I never been to these kinds of haunted houses before, so it was a different experience, pretty scary, they've captured some gory details in their work and gives quite a few thrills. Wouldn't say it's a must-see attraction, but if you enjoy these types of things, give it a go!

Lotus Cheesecake we enjoyed after our meal!

Overview:

There are a total of 16 rides and attractions (and more to come!). In general, all the 3D/4D/5D rides are quite good both adults and children will enjoy. Really liked the interiors, especially The Lost Valley.

All the roller coasters are definitely worth a try. But if you aren't really into that, there are a lot of fantastic restaurants to visit, and they even have a Novo Cinemas there!

We think IMG World is worth your money and you and your family/friends can definitely spend a wonderful few hours there!

For more information about IMG Worlds Of Adventure, please click here!

Till next time,

Salam|Peace!

Film Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

13.12.17

Shifa won tickets to watch STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI at @reelcinemas at Dubai Marina Mall.

Shifa isn’t here at the moment, so Mum and I went!! We reached pretty early, so we got our tickets and sat outside the cinema on the fancy sofa. (This Reel Cinemas felt even more fancy than Dubai Mall). And while we waited, 2 other movie-goers (the lady’s sister was a representative of Reel Cinemas, so they got special passes) were give lightsaber toys. Oh. My. Goodness. I want to say I was happy for them, but I was also extremely envious 😭😭.

So, afterwards, when it was time, we got free popcorn, a drink and water (locked and loaded for the movie!). We got to our seats and we were thrilled to find out that our seats were semi-reclining and veryyyy comfy. 

And after that, it was just waiting for the clock to strike 12 for the movie to start. But first of all, can we talk about how INCREDIBLE the Dolby Screen was. The demonstration had me absolutely floored! First, the range of sound. Next, the clarity of image. And lastly, the colour. Oh. My. Word. This had me reeling (haha, a little unintentional pun there). But seriously, a really, really great screen to watch great movies on. 

Now, on to the movie:

{Synopsis:

Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Rey joins Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past.}

(Source: IMdB- http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2527336/)

Well, what can I say. It’s

STAR

FRIKKIN

WARS.

Incredible cast. Incredible cinematography. ALL THOSE FEELS. 

My man, POE FRIGGIN DAMERON. And my little Finnegan! And my WONDERFUL, LOVELY, BADASS SMOL BEAN, REY!!

And omggggg. BB8. AND CHEWIE. AND LEIA. AND LUKE. AND C3PO. And basically just everyone. 

Kylo Ren’s scenes were really great; powerful. One scene in particular was like “oh, *expletive*”. However, I’m still a bit confused about him. Is he conflicted? Or is he really evil? Or is he just a big cry baby.

Also, I felt like Captain Phasma needed a lot more scenes.

There are some fantastic plot points (that will be developed in the next installment, I hope) and some interesting new characters- Rose!!- also, there were quite a few jokes, which are not necessarily bad, but a little different.

A great movie, but am I terrible if I say this wasn’t as exciting as Episode VII- The Force Awakens? It felt more like a foundation stone for the next installment. 

Side note:

Can I just dress like Rey all day, everyday? That girl got some mad fashion sense 🤙🏽

Lastly, a HUGE thank you to Reel Cinemas and the partners for bringing Star Wars: The Last Jedi to Dubai’s screens! 🙌🏽🙌🏽❤️

Film Review: Justice League

13.11.17

VOX Cinemas held a Justice League Fan-Art competition, giving people the opportunity to win tickets to the premiere of Justice League 😱, and they were so incredibly kind and picked us! 🤩✨

They had a 360 degree photo booth and some cool competitions in the other cinema hall! And they had some goodies for us in the cinema, which were pretty awesome 🙌🏽

{Synopsis:

Months after the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and inspired by Superman’s sacrifice for humanity, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince unite a team consisting of Barry Allen, Victor Stone and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons, who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth, while the world reflects on Superman's death.}

(Source: Wikipedia)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill

Run-time: 2 hours

We enjoyed the movie quite a bit: it was a good amuse bouchée because it makes you curious to see the individual films of each (new) character; we thought they integrated some of the characters that we would come to know better in a very smooth manner. Furthermore, really loved the team dynamics- looking forward to seeing more of the trinity in action in the coming films! ❤

Also, CHILDHOOD FEELS. 

We mightn’t say it was the best superhero movie of the year, but it was definitely a step up from BvS!

✨Highlights of Justice League:✨

-Subtle SuperWonder

-Wonder Woman and Aquaman teaming up!

-Barry geeking out

And

-The Bat fangirling 😂

But... coming to a few not-so-good points of the film. Firstly, the tone of the film was not properly established- like it didn’t feel DC-enough to us. We also felt that some of the jokes were not as well timed as they could’ve been. Furthermore, Batman didn’t have to praise Superman at the cost of his self. True, what he did was wrong and he felt quite guilty about it, but at the same time, dude, stop being so... not confident? Also, Barry was shown only as a nerdy person, but we wished they would’ve played up the intelligence part a bit more. Lastly, it felt like Aquaman could’ve done cooler stunts like washing away the bad guys with a massive tidal wave! 🌊. But they’re probably saving that for the Aquaman movie. 

All-in-all, maybe a bit flawed (because we’re probably over-thinkers), it was a really good watch! We would recommend you to go and watch it.

Film Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle

19.09.17

The premiere of Kingsman: The Golden Circle was hosted by the BEST, VOX Cinemas! ❤️. The movie was shown in the biggest screen, Virgin Radio MAX! 😱

Also, they was giving out some (awesome) free prizes! iPhones and Opera Tickets from Du! Products from The Art of Shaving 😍. All you had to do was share a secret with the audience. Of course, I too chicken to do that. But! Let me just say, I think Virgin's Brent Black really likes me- because I really like him- because after 9 people divulged their secrets (and 3 of them won iPhones), he selected 5 people from the audience to win tickets to the Opera! He walked right up to the row mum and I were sitting in.... and selected a person from the back 😭. Then, he started walking again, and I thought all hope was lost. But in a surreal moment, he tapped me and said "you. Look like a lady who would enjoy the Opera". Yes, YES, YES! Thank you, Brent Black 😭❤️❤️

And without further rambling on my part, the (short) review for Kingsman: The Golden Circle:

{Synopsis: When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman's journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.}

(Source: IMdB- http://m.imdb.com/title/tt4649466/)

Starring: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal

Run-time: 2h 21m

The movie was fast paced and bloody classy from the first moment. I felt that it stayed true to the style of the previous: humorous, (comic-ly) gruesome, lots of damn good fighting, ((an American big bad)) and a whole lot of well tailored suits 😍 (those suits, man. Those gloriously well-tailored suits.). It was interesting how an ethical dilemma and a legal problem were tackled by different people and their motivations for doing so. It kind of makes you wonder what you would've done, had you been in a position of power. 

Furthermore, I loved how there were scenes that were a nod to the previous movie. I just loved those. Especially scenes involving Harry Hart. My feels were through the roof. Also, Agent Whisky was too cool. Too cool, man. His style, his skill- mum always wanted to learn the lasso, so she was also quite taken with Agent Whisky.  

I know it's highly impractical and highly clichè, but I was holding out hope for Roxy and Eggsy, but now....

Finally, although I thought the movie was really great, I feel like there was a bit too much going on? I can't really extplain what I mean, but it felt a bit crowded. Also, Halle Berry's and Channing Tatum's characters need more screen time.

But I'm definitely super excited for the next instalment of Kingsmen.  

Perhaps, this is the end of the beginning. 

Once again, a MASSIVE thank you to VOX Cinemas, Du, The Art of Shaving & Empire Movies for hosting this premiere 😍✨

Film Review: X-Men: Apocalypse

18.05.16

A huge thank you to VOX Cinemas, Empire Movies and Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) for bringing us the premiere of X-Men: Apocalypse! A special thanks to the photo booth people for helping us saving some memories with hilarious poses 😂

{X-Men: Apocalypse Summary- With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.}

(Source- http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/)

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Evan Peters, Rose Byrne

Run-time: 2h 27m

To be honest, this movie wasn't really a fast-paced, action-packed movie, but the thing that is really cool was it was very visually and aesthetically appealing. Another important thing is that the storyline is extremely compelling and you're drawn into the new world of the X-Men with new possibilities and new stories to come. 

The acting, of course, was incredible and we highly appreciated that Egyptians were played by Egyptians (or at least people who knew how to speak proper Arabic 😁) and that Storm was true to her heritage. Besides that, we wish that she were more like her kick-ass self, but she still didn't disappoint. Psylocke was awesome and I wish we could've seen more of her and more in action, and Olivia Munn is just precious. Of course the rest of the X-Men were brilliant as usual, and the new kids who joined in did a fantastic job, but I think two characters that stood out (to me) were Quicksilver and Nightcrawler. Quicksilver is of course, incredible and, and as for Nightcrawler, you see that he's just a cute, naive kid, with a really big heart.

There weren't many jokes or comical scenes, but the ones that were included were well-timed and really boosted the film's appeal. 

There is only one thing that I thought was a bit unrealistic. I will try to explain it without revealing too much: during the climax, something happens that involves Jean Grey and I felt that her recovery from the event should've been much slower. But of course, this is coming from a person who hasn't read the comics, so yeah, my point may not be so valid. 😁

So, even though we thought this movie was quieter/less action-oriented and the second part (X-Men: Days of Future Past) is still our favourite (of the new ones) we really, REALLY enjoyed the film 🙌🏽

Rating: 9/10

Film Review: Captain America: Civil War

                                                     

                                                                   (Source: Wikipedia)

{Captain America: Civil War Summary:

Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.}

At the start of the movie, you keep trying to decide whose team you want to be part of and who is right, and probably towards the end, you don't know who to agree with. The movie was very entertaining, packed with action and well-timed humour. Although initially it seemed like the movie was a 'talk-more and fight-less' kind of movie, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Also, while the middle fight sequence was for a serious cause, it was highly entertaining and basically showcased the entire ensemble, which was just THROUGH THE ROOF!

One part that we disliked a little was the very irrelevant seeming and very untimely kiss scene.

The last scene, however, was extremely intense, I (Shifa) really, REALLY couldn't handle it and I almost started crying because it just felt like "how did we even get here; how could've this even happened?" I think the writers came up with something very good, something that can hurt and maim and kill us, but while doing so, they do it so well. This is the definition of the last fight scene.

As for the characters, Spidey was PERFECT; at first we were like, who does this kid think he is, but then he was really, really good, and really funny. Black Panther was just fantastically fantastic, sleek and just so darn cool, and Ant-Man just made the movie a lot brighter.

The only flaw we found in the characters was that Natasha [always] does not live up to her awesome abilities and she's really underrated! She's an extremely kick-ass woman and I think Scarlett Johansson plays her so well, can you give her a proper part already?!!

So to sum up, Civil War was incredible and hilarious and intense and just really good and you should watch it if you want to cry from laughing too hard and from almost feeling like dying.

(On another note, if we want to compare the fight between major superheroes of the recent movies, Civil War's root cause/provocations of the fight just shattered the cause of fighting between Batman and Superman which, in comparison, seems childish and fickle.)

Although this is not our favourite Captain America movie, we still give it 100/10